There are two kinds of people in the world, at this moment: People for whom this rates as a giant ho-hum akin to the announcement of an as-yet untitled Jennifer Anniston rom-com, and people who are feeling some form of incredible excitement - though perhaps mixed with experience-based trepidation. People of the first type are entirely extraneous, as far as I'm concerned, and are almost certainly reading the wrong blog.

This is, instantly, the upcoming project which now has the majority of my attention. With appologies to The Avengers and Mr. Baggins... Godzilla is Godzilla.

"Legendary," for what it's worth, is Thomas Tull's Hollywood/Wall Street investment hybrid, notably responsible for throwing their initial weight behind "Batman Begins" and a good bulk of Warner Bros. "geek" properties henceforth (300, Superman, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, Ninja Assassin and Clash of The Titans, among others) so that, at least, spells "good hands" so far. The BIG surprise is that notoriously-protective (even for a Japanese studio) "Toho" let ANY westerners near the property, which says that Legendary/Warners either has a killer pitch or (more likely) a SHITLOAD of cash.

Of Legendary/Warners, I'd make only TWO plaintive requests: Let Godzilla look like Godzilla, and let him breath fire. Oh, and if Ratner, Michael Bay, McG or anyone else in the Hack Pack finds their way to this project, I will find my way to you ;)

14 comments:

Anonymous
said...

God, I would KILL for Blomkamp to get his crack at this. Given my...less-than-enthusiastic response to "The Incredible Hulk", I'm nervous at the possiblity of Louis Letterier getting it. I know the potential for this to be 1998 all over again is high, but I can't help feeling excited by it.

I have noticed, over my long years of perusing the geek subculture, that there seems to be a sort of "elitist" audited with regards to some geeks when it comes to Godzilla. This idea that you either "love" Godzilla and are therefore a "True Geek" or you are "slightly indifferent" to Godzilla in which case you are not a "True Geek" but instead some kind of loathsome parasitic leech in geek clothing. Even some geeks who have a destain for most other aspects of Japanese pop-culture will take this attitude from time to time. In order to avoid discrimination I will not save here what my "excitement level" is with regards to this unexpected announcement, except to say that I hope this new Godzilla remake includes a baby Godzilla synchronized ice skating scene.

I actually liked Terminator Salvation (scream and cry all you want, if you think that's a bad movie, you should watch A Sound of Thunder. it should give hateful internet nerds some perspective). Just because people didn't get what they want,it is no reason to hate it. Aside from being overly Bale-y. The story wasn't nearly as aweful as I thought it would be (terminator 3 pre third act bad) and i respect it being about 60 percent practical effects (models, Bitches!!!). Plus the movie was generally well shot and well acted. McG is not really a hack. But the film could have done with a rewrite.

Bay is pretty hacky. The only movie of his I like is The Island. Ratner is a fratboy piece of shit.

Bob and everyone else blows this shit way out of proportion. Same goes for Crystal Skull. If people learn to calm the fuck down and dont demand every movie to be the next blade runner and children of men, they will find they can enjoy films alot more.

They're probably going to get Matt Reeves to do it because, in normal producer logic, he will be probably the one director most recently related to the genre of giant monster/disaster movie with his hit 'Cloverfield'. I just hope he uses a fucking tripod this time.

I have a conspiracy theory about this. There have been 3 major era of Goji films.

Showa: from the original in the 50s all the way to terror of Mechagodzilla in the early 70s. They wnated to make more but the movies were too costly and they had slowly flanderized the series into kids movies instead of biting anti nuclear drama. (Gojira 54 is essentially the japanese District 9. only more relevant).

Heisei: After a hitaus, they brought it back as a cold war era anti nuclear series. And it took about 3 movies befor eit just became mindless monster bash fests. but same story, rising costs, audience fatigue so they make one final movie that calls back the very first film and then end it, going out on a high note,

Then GINO happens, and japanese people decide they aren't content letting the americans define godzilla. So the Millenium series happens. Same story as before, and IT ends.

So now they are letting the yanks take another crack at it? I think this is a new coke type scenario. Let the gaijin make their film, japanese people get pissed, and suddenly there is a market for REAL godzilla films.

But I can just see it now, the socio-political parallels in a *godzilla* movie. Perhaps it's set in DC and godzilla comes out of the ocean to sell health insurance to the insurance companies themselves? Oh, and there'd be a bad-ass mech-suit scene. sign me up!

Well, the first Godzilla (the 1954 version) was in itself a metaphor for nuclear war. It's not that big of a leap to apply social commentary to the movie. But then again, who cares about nuclear war nowadays.

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About Me

Bob is a part-time independent filmmaker, part-time amateur film critic and full time Movie Geek. He is heterosexual, a pisces, and a severely lapsed Catholic. He is a tireless enemy of censorship, considers his personal politics "Libertine" and enjoys acting as a full time irritant to overly serious people of ALL political stripes.